Renault to continue free home charging point offer

The carmaker was the first of a number of companies to offer consumers a free wallbox, backed by a 75% government subsidy of up to £1,000 and Renault covering the remaining 25%, but unique in offering the faster 7kW unit rather than a 3kW version.

In June, a further £9m of funding was announced by the Department for Transport after the original scheme’s allocation had run out. This still offers 75% subsidies for domestic installations until the 31st March 2015, but reduces the available funding from £1,000 to £9,000 and tightens availability to those who own or have regular access to an electric vehicle.

Despite this, Renault will still offer a 7kW home charging unit with a tethered lead suitable for the ZOE. The unit is an essential part of the purchase, as the fully electric supermini is uniquely currently supplied without a cable for a three-pin domestic socket, though a suitable cable is due to be launched later this year.

The scheme is, however, only available for retail purchases. Renault has advised company car drivers to apply through other suppliers offering wallboxes through the new scheme. These include British Gas, which had offered free domestic charging points as part of the outgoing scheme, but which is now charging £115 for a 3kW unit according to its website.

Alex Grant

Trained on Cardiff University’s renowned Postgraduate Diploma in Motor Magazine Journalism, Alex is an award-winning motoring journalist with ten years’ experience across B2B and consumer titles. A life-long car enthusiast with a fascination for new technology and future drivetrains, he joined Fleet World in April 2011, contributing across the magazine and website portfolio and editing the EV Fleet World Website.